January 15, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Awards $40 Million In Strengthening Community College Training Grants

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $40 million through the Strengthening Community College Training Grants program to build the capacity of community colleges to meet labor market demand for a skilled workforce.

January 15, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Issues Final Rule to Modernize H-2A Temporary Agricultural Labor Certification Program

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule that modernizes the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Labor Certification Program.  

Furthering the Trump Administration’s agenda to help American farmers, the Department’s Employment and Training Administration, and Wage and Hour Division are issuing this final rule in response to the extensive public comments received from farmers, farmworkers, as well as advocates and associations for both groups from across the country.

January 15, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Revises Interpretation, Issues New Guidance Clarifying Filing, Compliance Requirements in H-1B Visa Program

WASHINTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today announced a new interpretation of their regulations and accompanying guidance in ongoing efforts to protect American jobs and ensure employers pay temporary foreign workers admitted under the H-1B visa program as the law requires.

January 15, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Awards First Non-Profit Set Aside Contract to Eckerd Youth Alternatives to Operate Washington, D.C. Job Corps Center

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a contract to Eckerd Youth Alternatives Inc. for operations of the Potomac Job Corps Center in southwest Washington, D.C. The award is a first-of-its-kind total set-aside as part of a pilot program to enhance Job Corps participation by non-profit entities. 

January 14, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Announces $40 Million To Address Rural Health Care Workforce Shortages

WASHINGTON, DCThe U.S. Department of Labor today announced approximately $40 million in H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program funds awarded to partnerships of public and private entities to address rural healthcare workforce shortages in communities across the country.

January 14, 2021

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending January 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 965,000, an increase of 181,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 3,000 from 787,000 to 784,000. The 4-week moving average was 834,250, an increase of 18,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 2,750 from 818,750 to 816,000.

January 12, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Issues Final Rule to Reform Prevailing Wages For Foreign Worker Programs to Prevent Potential Abuses

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a Final Rule to help protect the wages and job opportunities of American workers by reforming the wage methodology it uses to set prevailing wage rates to prevent potential abuses of its Permanent Employment Certification, H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Visa foreign worker programs.

January 12, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Issues Final Rule to Reform Prevailing Wages For Foreign Worker Programs to Prevent Potential Abuses

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a Final Rule to help protect the wages and job opportunities of American workers by reforming the wage methodology it uses to set prevailing wage rates to prevent potential abuses of its Permanent Employment Certification, H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Visa foreign worker programs.

January 7, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Grant Funding to the District of Columbia to Enhance Short-Time Compensation Program

WASHINGTON, DCThe U.S. Department of Labor today awarded grant funding of $431,513 to the D.C. Department of Employment Services to improve and promote its Short-Time Compensation (STC) program. The STC program gives employers the opportunity to avoid layoffs by reducing work hours for an entire group of workers rather than laying off some of them. Those workers then become eligible to supplement their reduced wages with a partial unemployment benefit payment.

January 7, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Announces $2 Million In Short-Time Compensation Grants to Washington State

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $2,366,077 in grant funding to the Washington Employment Security Department to improve and promote its Short-Time Compensation (STC) program, known as the “Shared Work Program.” Employers can use short-time compensation to avoid layoffs by reducing work hours for an entire group of workers rather than laying off some of them, and those workers can supplement their reduced wages with a partial unemployment benefit.

January 7, 2021

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending January 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 787,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 3,000 from 787,000 to 790,000. The 4-week moving average was 818,750, a decrease of 18,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 750 from 836,750 to 837,500.

January 5, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has issued updated guidance that provides implementation information to states regarding two unemployment insurance programs: Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC). 

January 4, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Award of Up to $25 Million In Disaster Recovery Funding in Response to California’s 2020 Wildfires

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $25,092,803 to the California Department of Employment Development to create jobs to address debris cleanup and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by the September 2020 wildfires. 

December 31, 2020

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending December 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 787,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 3,000 from 803,000 to 806,000. The 4-week moving average was 836,750, an increase of 17,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 750 from 818,250 to 819,000.

December 30, 2020

U.S. Department of Labor Announces New Guidance to States on Unemployment Insurance Programs

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has issued guidance that provides overarching implementation information about unemployment insurance (UI) provisions contained in the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020, which is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

December 23, 2020

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending December 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 803,000, a decrease of 89,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 7,000 from 885,000 to 892,000. The 4-week moving average was 818,250, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 1,750 from 812,500 to 814,250.

December 22, 2020

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Availability of $3.3 Million To Fund Fidelity Bonding Demonstration Grants

WASHINGTON, DC  The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the availability of $3.3 million to fund Fidelity Bonding Demonstration Grants to states and outlying areas to expand their Federal Bonding Programs for individuals with criminal records, including those recovering from opioid and other drug addictions.

December 17, 2020

U.S. Department of Labor Announces More Standards Recognition Entities Ready to Deliver Industry-Recognized Apprenticeships

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that nine more organizations have been recognized as Standards Recognition Entities (SRE) overseeing the development of high-quality Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAP).

December 17, 2020

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending December 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 885,000, an increase of 23,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 9,000 from 853,000 to 862,000. The 4-week moving average was 812,500, an increase of 34,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 2,250 from 776,000 to 778,250.